Blog entry for:
Mon, Jun 16, 2014 07:44:31 AM
Δ once i see the truth of my situation, i pray for the willingness Δ
posted: Mon, Jun 16, 2014 07:44:31 AM
to have myself changed, as change is also something i have very little control of the days. what can i change? in reality not a whole lot. i can change the color of my hair, the amount of tan i have, whether or not i am working, mostly superficial things. no for real change to occur, as in personality change and in my acceptance of my life, i need to initiate a process that cause change to happen, at its own pace, charting its own course. one i start the process, i need to foster it along, by doing the next right thing.
for me, this means working the steps to get the change process rolling, and living the steps to support that process. i could always follow the example of some of my peers and say one thing and be spiritual for that one hour per day and then walk out the door and return to being a sh!t, that is always looking out for numero uno. the very epitome of what keeps one of my friends away, the focus of their thesis that recovery does not work. can i change their attitude? not by a long shot, the only thing i can change is what i allow myself to be changed by. i work steps and the steps transform me, it really is that simple. to imply that i can change myself, well in my not so humble opinion, is part of the disappointment many feel with recovery programs. i know i walked into the room, well-primed for instant gratification, after 25 years of getting what i wanted as soon as i decided i needed it. yes, if it had not been for the sword of justice hanging over my head, i too, would have grown disillusioned and walked, nay ran, back to a life where a little dab of this would do me. no over the course of those first thirteen months, enough changed in my life, so that when the opportunity to begin my recovery actually arrived, i was nearly ready to take it. the change in those early days was quite dramatic, because i had gone from one cold fish, to an emotional basket case, to somewhat stable emotionally, and all without doing anything myself. i stuck around, worked some steps and stopped resisting the process.
that is what this is mostly about. one thing i can change is to stop resisting and allow the process to work. when i surrender <CRINGE> good stuff happens and for me, most days, what i can change is accepting my NEED to surrender and to stop trying to force my will on the outcome of what is going on around me. another thing i can change, right here and right now, is my physical location, so as i have a job and they desire me to be in the office, i think i will pack this in and get headed out. life is good and all things must pass, including my strong desire to hold on to the illusion of who i think i am today.
for me, this means working the steps to get the change process rolling, and living the steps to support that process. i could always follow the example of some of my peers and say one thing and be spiritual for that one hour per day and then walk out the door and return to being a sh!t, that is always looking out for numero uno. the very epitome of what keeps one of my friends away, the focus of their thesis that recovery does not work. can i change their attitude? not by a long shot, the only thing i can change is what i allow myself to be changed by. i work steps and the steps transform me, it really is that simple. to imply that i can change myself, well in my not so humble opinion, is part of the disappointment many feel with recovery programs. i know i walked into the room, well-primed for instant gratification, after 25 years of getting what i wanted as soon as i decided i needed it. yes, if it had not been for the sword of justice hanging over my head, i too, would have grown disillusioned and walked, nay ran, back to a life where a little dab of this would do me. no over the course of those first thirteen months, enough changed in my life, so that when the opportunity to begin my recovery actually arrived, i was nearly ready to take it. the change in those early days was quite dramatic, because i had gone from one cold fish, to an emotional basket case, to somewhat stable emotionally, and all without doing anything myself. i stuck around, worked some steps and stopped resisting the process.
that is what this is mostly about. one thing i can change is to stop resisting and allow the process to work. when i surrender <CRINGE> good stuff happens and for me, most days, what i can change is accepting my NEED to surrender and to stop trying to force my will on the outcome of what is going on around me. another thing i can change, right here and right now, is my physical location, so as i have a job and they desire me to be in the office, i think i will pack this in and get headed out. life is good and all things must pass, including my strong desire to hold on to the illusion of who i think i am today.
∞ DT ∞
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
Another Look!
... I finally am back at this 161 words ➥ Wednesday, June 16, 2004 by: donnot∞ accepting my life ∞ 277 words ➥ Thursday, June 16, 2005 by: donnot
Δ in most cases, i have found that what needed changing... δ 504 words ➥ Friday, June 16, 2006 by: donnot
∞ in recovery, i pray for wisdom to know the difference between what can and cannot be changed. ∞ 400 words ➥ Saturday, June 16, 2007 by: donnot
δ it is relatively easy to accept the things i like; it is the things i do not like that are hard to accept. Δ 369 words ➥ Monday, June 16, 2008 by: donnot
∞ remaking the world and everyone in it to suit my tastes would solve nothing ∞ 603 words ➥ Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by: donnot
ƒ some things i must accept, others i can change ƒ 482 words ➥ Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by: donnot
∼ in the course of working the steps, i ask myself hard questions ∼ 700 words ➥ Thursday, June 16, 2011 by: donnot
• the role i play in creating an unacceptable life? ! 534 words ➥ Saturday, June 16, 2012 by: donnot
√ after all, the idea that the world was to blame √ 755 words ➥ Sunday, June 16, 2013 by: donnot
¢ what needs changing is ¢ 557 words ➥ Tuesday, June 16, 2015 by: donnot
🌄 accepting life 🌇 674 words ➥ Thursday, June 16, 2016 by: donnot
☃ blaming the world ❢ 596 words ➥ Friday, June 16, 2017 by: donnot
📚 learning to 🖎 674 words ➥ Saturday, June 16, 2018 by: donnot
🌱 the wisdom 🌳 496 words ➥ Sunday, June 16, 2019 by: donnot
🤔 what can 🤭 379 words ➥ Tuesday, June 16, 2020 by: donnot
👓 seeing the truth 👓 397 words ➥ Wednesday, June 16, 2021 by: donnot
🤷 the life i 🦡 465 words ➥ Thursday, June 16, 2022 by: donnot
😢 enduring loss, 😊 392 words ➥ Friday, June 16, 2023 by: donnot
😲 i am coming 🙂 535 words ➥ Sunday, June 16, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
1) Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong.
(So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth,
are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.